Ted Cruz confronts President Obama at White House

Sen. Ted Cruz confronted President Barack Obama over his health care law during a meeting at the White House Friday attended by dozens of GOP senators.

Cruz told Obama that any deal to reopen the government must also provide relief for those negatively affected by Obamacare. In a long gaggle with reporters, Cruz did not use the word “defund” to describe his aspirations for changes to the health care law, but said he wants “substantial” changes.

Text Size

-

+

reset

Cruz: Hecklers are Obama operatives

“I told the president exactly the same thing I have told you here today: That we need to work together and fund the government and at the same time provide substantial relief to the millions of people who are hurting because of Obamacare, who are losing their jobs, being forced into part-time work and losing their health insurance,” Cruz said. “If the outcome doesn’t impact people who are struggling, who are hurting because of Obamacare, then I don’t think it would be a good outcome.”

Asked to give a breakdown of the exchange between Cruz and Obama, White House press secretary Jay Carney simply responded: “No.”

Cruz, who gained prominence last month for commandeering the Senate floor for 21 hours to deride the heath care law, said he appreciated the invite to the White House. But he said he was not thrilled with the president’s stance on changes to Obamacare.

“I’m glad that we are finally having discussions. That is an improvement. There was an awful lot of talk but then, at the end of the day, the president still said he wouldn’t negotiate,” Cruz said. “We began talking, that was good today. But he continued to maintain that he will not negotiate or compromise on anything. And if that is the position, that’s not going to lead to a resolution.”

Some Senate Republicans have suggested changes to the law’s periphery, but Cruz has long been focused on striking at the heart of the law’s individual mandate or funding for implementation.

The Texas freshman has led the charge on attacking Obamacare as a condition for reopening the government, a battle picked up by other conservatives in both chambers of Congress who have argued for delay or degradation of the Affordable Care Act as a condition for funding the government. The impasse sparked a government shutdown — one Cruz will take no credit for and still lays at the feet of Obama and Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid.

“I opposed the shutdown from Day One. I think it was wrong that President Obama and Harry Reid forced the shutdown. They forced the shutdown because they wouldn’t compromise on Obamacare,” Cruz lamented.